Loose-leaf binder



Feb. 16, 1943. P, Q UNGER 2,311,492.

LOOSE. LEAF BINDER Filed Nov. 21, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. O. UNGER LOOSE LEAF BINDER Feb. 16, 1943.

Filed Nov. 21, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 16, 1943.

P. o. UNGER LOOSE LEAF BINDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 21, 1938 Patented Feb. 16, 1943 LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Paul O. Unger, Elmhurst, 111., assignor to Wilson- Jones Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 21, 1938, Serial No. 241,621

10 Claims. (Cl. 12917) This invention relates to a loose-leaf binder particularly adapted to receive a plurality of banks of overlapping sheets and to shift a portion of the contents relative to the rest of the contents.

It is an object of this invention to provide a loose-leaf binder with simple and eiiicient means for shifting one series of sheet retaining prongs relative to the other series of sheet retaining prongs and with releasable means for preventing accidental shifting of said prongs when the binder is in its intermediate position. It is a further object of this invention to provide means for automatically returning the locking slide to looking position independently of the release lever. It is a further object of this invention to provide means for automatically restoring the back sections to normal position when they are closed from shift position. Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a binder embodying the invention with parts broken away to facilitate illustration of the structure;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the binder in shift position;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the binder;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line IVIV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the latching bar;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line V'L-VI of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VIIVII of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of Figure l;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IXIX of Figure 8, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing the locking slide mechanism in difierent positions;

Figure 11 is a detail perspective view of the locking slide operating mechanism; and

Figure 12 is a fragmentary detail view of the locking slide.

In the drawings, the reference numerals 2 and 3 designate a pair of back sections hinged together as indicated at 4. The hinge 4 is provided with a plurality of gaps 5 arranged to permit longitudinal shifting of the back sections relative to each other along the hinge. Cover members 6 and T are hinged to the back sections 2 and 3, as indicated at 3 and 9, respectively. The back section 2 is provided with a prong carrying plate 19 upon which curved sheet retaining prongs II are rigidly mounted. A similar prong carrying plate I2 provided with sheet retaining prongs I3 is mounted on the back section 3. The prongs I l and I3 have the same curvature and are spaced longitudinally of each other at equal intervals so that one series of prongs may be shifted longitudinally relative to the other in either direction for a predetermined distance without any of the prongs interfering with the other prongs. A plurality of sheets I4 is arranged on the prongs II and I3 in overlapping position.

A box member I5 is mounted in the back section 2, and a somewhat similar box member I6 is mounted in the back section .3. A pair of curved latching bars II project from the box member I5 and enter slots I8 provided in the side wall I9 of the box member [6. A pair of bridge members 20 is mounted in the box member I5 and they extend nearly to the top wall 2i of the box member. Each bar I! is rigidly secured to one of said bridge members. The bridge members 20 are each provided with a hinge lug 22 which constitutes a part of the hinge 4 and is positioned between two hinge lugs projecting from the box member I6 so that the curved latching bars I! can not move longitudinally relative to the box member IS. The side wall 23 of box member I5 is provided with elongated slots 24 through which the latching bars IT project so that the back sections may be shifted longitudinally relative to each other without interference from either latching bar 11.

The latching bars I! are each provided with a pair of notches 25, 26 adapted to engage a locking slide 21 mounted in the box member IE to hold the back sections in closed or intermediate position, respectively. The locking slide is notched, as indicated at 28., to provide a shoulder 29 adapted to engage the notches 25, 26 of one latching bar. The notches of the other latching bar are engaged by the front end 30 of the looking slide. The other end 31 of the looking slide is bent at right angles to provide a stop. An L-shaped bracket 32 (Figure 9) permanently secured in the box member I6 has one leg 33 spaced from the side wall I9 so as to lie adjacent the locking slide and engage the end 3I to limit movement of the locking slide in one direction.

An L-shaped plate member 34 comprising one leg 35 parallel to the top Wall 36 of the box memher It and another leg 31 parallel to the wall I9 is mounted in the box member I6 by means of a pair of brackets 38, .39, each of which has one edge permanently secured to the underside of the top wall 36 and another edge offset, as indicated at 43, 4|, respectively, a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the plate 34. The leg 35 is positioned under the offset portions 40, 4| and is retained in the box member I6 thereby. The brackets 38, 39 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow the plate member 34 to move ber 6 and is provided with a finger piece 44' adapted to be pressed inwardly to move the plate member 34.

the pawl tooth engages the notch so that subsequent inwardly directed pressure on the finger piece 44 moves the locking slide to open position and starts the cycle of spring actuated movements again.

A latch 62 is pivotally secured to the underside of the top wall 2| of the box member 5,

The leg 31 of the L-shaped plate member 34 is provided with an aperture 45 which normally registers with a notch 46 in the locking slide 21. A pawl member 41 pivotally secured to the leg 35, as indicated at 48, has a tooth 49 adapted to project through the aperture 45 to engage the notch 46. A spring 50 secured at one end to a stud mounted on the pawl 41 and at the other end to an ear 52 projecting from the leg exerts a constant force against the pawl urging the tooth 49 into the aperture 45. When the finger piece 44 is pressed inwardly the pawl tooth 49 engages the notch 46 and moves the locking slide 21 inwardly.

An L-shaped bracket 53, similar to the bracket 32, is provided with an ear 54 to which one end of a spring 55 is secured. The other end of hte spring 55 is secured to an ear 56 projecting from the plate member 34 so that the spring 55 is efiective to return the plate member to its initial position when the finger piece 44 is released. A

spring 51, similar to the springs and 55, having one end secured to an ear 58 projecting from the bracket 53 and its other end to an ear 59 projecting from the locking slide 21 exerts constant force against the locking slide and is effective to return the locking slide to its initial position automatically upon release of the pawl tooth from the notch 46. In the initial position of the looking slide the shoulder 29 and the end 30 are adapted to be engaged by either pair of notches 25 or 26 to hold the back sections of the binder in either closed or intermediate position.

The leg 35 of the L-shaped plate member 34 is provided with an elongated aperture 60 through which a stud 6| projects. The stud 6| is rigidly secured to the top wall 36 of the box member I6. When the finger piece 44 is pressed inwardly the plate member 34 is moved until one leg of the pawl 41 engages the stud 6|. The stud 6| is stationary, and continued movement of the plate member 34 causes the pawl to turn on its pivot 48 and disengage the tooth 49-from the notch 46. Accordingly it is not necessary to release the finger piece 44 to return the locking slide 21 to locking position. I

When the binder is to be moved from closed to intermediate position the finger piece 44 is pressed inwardly and the back sections 2 and 3 spread apart. The locking slide returns to locking position automatically before the teeth 26 pass the locking slide 21 so they are automatically engaged with the slide to hold the binder in intermediate position. This function is of importance because it prevents accidental opening of the binder to fully opened position and the consequent possibility of spilling the sheets when the user intends to open it only to the intermediate position. When the finger piece 44 is released the spring returns the plate member 34 to its initial position and the pawl 41 is moved out of contact with the stud 6|. The spring 50 urges the pawl back to its initial position with the tooth 49 projecting into the aperture 45 as soon as the finger piece 44 is released. When the plate member 34 reaches its initial position th aperture' 45 is in registration withthe notch 46 and to cause the boss as indicated at 63. The arm 64 of the latch 62 projects through a slot 65 in the end wall 66 of the box member l5 and terminates in a bent finger piece 61. The arm 64 lies between the bridge 20 and the top wall 2|. The bridge 20 is recessed, as indicated at 68, to allow clearance for the pivot 63 when the back sections are shifted relative to each other. The latch 62 is provided on one edge with anotch 68 adapted to engage a projection 10 extending from the latching bar ll when the back sections are in normal position to prevent shifting of the back sections. When the finger piece 61 is moved to the left from the position indicated in Figure l the notch 69 and projection 10 are disengaged and the back sections 2 and 3 may be shifted relatively to each other on the hinge 4. The gaps or spaces 5 in the hinge 4 are each equal to one half the longitudinal distance between any prong II and either of the two prongs |3 closest thereto so that the back sections may be shifted in either direction from their normal position a distance equal to one-half the distance between any prong H and the adjacent prong I3. Y

The latch 62 has a notch H at one end into which one end of a spring I2 fits. The spring T2 is held at its other end by a stud l4 and is arranged so as to hold the latch 62 in either of its two extreme positions. The latch 62 is provided with a projection 15 which lies within the box member 5 when the notch 69 is in engagement with the projection 10, as shown in Figure 1, and projects through a slot 16 in the side wall 23 of the box l5 when the notch 69 and projection I8 are disengaged, as shown in Figure 2. The side wall l9 of the box member I6 is not provided with any slot registering with the slot 16 so that if the back sections are moved to closed position the wall l9 engages the projection '15 to move the latch back into the position shown in Figure 1. Accordingly, whenever the back sections are closed the latch 62 is automatically movedto latching position so that when the back sections are opened they can not be shifted until the latch 62 is released from engagement with the projection 10.

A sliding plate 11 is secured to the back section 2 by means of a pair of studs 18. The plate i1 is provided with a pair of elongated slots 19 through which the studs 18 project. A spring 88 having one end encircling a pin 8| projecting from the back section 2 and its other end encircling an ear 82 projecting from the plate ll exerts a constant force urging the plate 11 towards the hinge 4. The back section 2 is cut away, as indicated at 83, to allow one end 84, bent at right angles, to project therethrough. The end 84 is provided with a boss 85 engaging the hinge 4. The spring maintains the boss in contact with the hinge 4 when the back sections 2 and 3 are shifted relatively to each other. The hinge lug with which the boss 85 IS in contact is recessed, as indicated at 86, so that the boss 85 is pressed into said recess when the back sections are in their normal position. The pressure of the spring 88 is strong enough 85 to snap into the recess 86 to indicate to the user that the back sections have reached their normal position, but is not strong enough to provide substantial interference with shifting from the normal position.

The box member l has a pair of longitudinal ly spaced upright members 8'! mounted upon its top wall 2%. Although these members may be posts or studs, I prefer to use rollers, as indicated in the drawings, to reduce friction. A plate 88 joins the tops of the rollers U0 give them support. An aligning bar 89 is secured to the top wall 36 of the box section 23 and has one end Sill projecting between the rollers 3'! and under the plate 28. The bar 89 is of substantially the same width as the space between the rollers 87 throughout the major portion of its length, but the end 90 is of substantially reduced width so that it will project between the rollers when the back sections are in either shiit position, as shown in Figure 2. Pivotal movement of the back sections from the intermediate position shown in Figure 2 to the fully open position does not affect the aligning bar 88. However, movement from the intermediate position towards closed position when the back sections are in either shift position will cause one cam shaped edge ii to engage one roller 8'! to shift the back sections automatically to their normal position so that the binder may be closed without damage to the sheets or hinder.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of back sections hinged together and longitudinally shiftable relative to each other on said hinge, means on one of said back sections engaging means on said other back section to hold said back sections in closed position, means operable to momentarily disengage said first and second means to permit movement of said back sections to intermediate position, said first and second mentioned means being automatically reengaged to hold said back sections in intermediate position, means engaging said first mentioned means to hold said back sections against longitudinal shifting on said hinge. a lever operable when said back sections are in intermediate position to release said last mentioned means to permit longitudinal shifting of said back sections in either direction from their normal position, means to move said back sections to normal position automatically when they are closed from shift position, and means to automatically move said lever to shift preventing position upon closing of said back sections.

2. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of relatively longitudinally shiftable back sections hinged together, a notched latching bar mounted in one of said back sections and shiftable with said other back section relative to said first mentioned back section, a locking slide in said other back section cooperating with said notched latching bar to hold said back sections in a plurality of predetermined hinged positions, means for momentarily relea ing said locking slide to permit movement of latching bar from one notch to the next adiacent notch only, and means engageable with said latching bar to prevent shifting of said back sections.

3. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of back sections hinged together and movable longitudinally along said hinge relative to each other, means in one of said back sections engaging means in said other back section to hold said back sections closed, means for releasing said second mentioned means momentarily to permit angular movement of said back sections to intermediate position, means to reengage said first and second mentioned means before said back sections reach said intermediate position, and means in said first mentioned back section engaging said first mentioned means to hold said back sections against relative longitudinal movement along said hinge.

l. In a loose-leaf binder, a locking slide, a pawl engageable with said slide to move said slide to inoperative position, and means to disengage said pawl from said slide when said slide is moved to a predetermined position.

5. In a loose-leaf binder, a locking slide, a pawl engageable with said slide to move said slide to inoperative position, means to disengage said pawl from said slide when said slide is moved to a predetermined position, and means to return said slide to locking position automatically upon release of said pawl.

6. In a loose-leaf binder, a locking slide, a notch in said slide, a pawl engageable with said notch, a spring urging said pawl into engagement with said notch, means to move said pawl longitudinally of said binder to move said slide to inoperative position, a stud engageable with said pawl to disengage said pawl from said notch at a predetermined position, and a spring operable to return said slide to locking position when said pawl is disengaged from said notch.

'7. In a loose-leaf binder, a back section, a looking slide mounted in said back section, a plate in said back section, a pawl pivoted on said plate and engageable with said slide, a finger operated plunger to move said plate longitudinally of said back section to cause said pawl to move said slide to inoperative position, means to disengage said pawl from said slide at a predetermined position, a spring operable to return. said slide to locking position, to return said plate to its initial position when. said plunger is released, and means to move said pawl into engagement with said slide when said plate is moved to its initial position.

8. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of back sections relatively longitudinally shiftable on a common hinge in either direction from a normal position. means on one of said back sections cooperating with means on said hinge to indicate when said back secnons are in normal position. one of said means being a recess, and the other a projection fitting into said recess only when said back sections are in position.

9. In a loose-leaf binder, a of back sections connected by a hinge and longitudinally shittable thereon and a s ring pressed member slidably mounted in. one of back sections having one end in contact with said hinge, said hinge being notched to engage said end when said back sections are in normal position.

10. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of back sections, each of said back sections having a plurality of hinge lugs, a pintle hingedly connecting the lugs of the two sections together, a recess in one of said hinge lugs. said ha i; sections being relatively longitudinally shiitabie in either direction from a normal position, and indicating means having a projection fitting into said recess only when said back sections are in normal position.

PAUL O. UNGER. 

